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Palestinians hope for revival of peace accord

Article Abstract:

Palestinians remain cautious about Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak, whom they do not know well. They will pay particular attention to the composition of his government as they seek to assess whether he will be able to bring peace. The peace process will move only slowly if Barak includes parties from the nationalist right in his government. Palestinians will also look at whether Barak immediately implements the Wye Agreement of Oct 1998, under which Israel should continue a partial withdrawal from the West Bank.

Friendless in Jerusalem

Article Abstract:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoyed a very rapid rise to power. However, he only achieved this by having very few scruples and by surrounding himself with extremely loyal supporters. He now faces the possibility of an equally rapid downfall, having caused offence to many people in the army, judiciary, police, security services and cabinet. He has now become very isolated, and his position has been made more insecure by the fact that he may become the subject of a police investigation.

Can Israel put out the flames?

Article Abstract:

Israel's right-wing Likud party has come under a cloud of suspicion following the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, especially as its leader, Binyamin Netanyahu, has been extremely critical of the Israeli government in the past. He is keen to distance himself from members of the extreme religious right, but some observers believe that he will be tainted by past associations. The incident has been particularly significant for revealing the extent of Israel's fundamentalist problem.